The actor played the prisoner in the 2008 biographical crime drama, 'Bronson'.

Prisoner Charles Bronson has revealed he wants Tom Hardy to father his child – but will settle for Danny Dyer.

The 64-year-old violent criminal – who was been behind bars for 43 years – is engaged to 37-year-old soap actress, Paula Williamson, who began exchanging letters with him in 2013.

He proposed over the phone earlier this year, and hopes they can have a child together – with Tom Hardy as the father.

Hardy played the criminal in 2008 fictionalised crime biopic, ‘Bronson’ and Bronson has revealed via a letter to a friend that he wants Hardy to be the “surrogate daddy”.

According to the Mirror, Bronson wrote: “The powers that be seem to think I can’t have a baby with my Paula. But you know… I always come up with something special. Maybe a ­surrogate daddy. If Tom says yes, I think it’s got to be him.

“Get a meet with Tom. See what he thinks. I think Paula would go with that choice. I’ll be discussing it with my Paula. It will be nice for her to have a baby to keep her happy while she awaits my freedom.”

However, Bronson remains realistic and is aware there’s a chance Hardy will reject the offer, so has lined up an alternative – Danny Dyer.

“I know Danny Dyer would be up for it,” he writes in the letter, and goes on to say he’d be happy for the child to have Dyer’s “jet-black hair”.

Tom Hardy attends the afterparty following the special screening of ‘Bronson’, at the Embassy Club on March 10, 2009 (Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images)

Bronson was originally imprisoned for seven years in 1974 for armed robbery.

He was released in 1988 but was back behind bars, two months after being freed, after taking part in another robbery.

In prison, he became ‘Britain’s most notorious inmate’, attacking fellow prisoners and taking numerous hostages, resulting in him being jailed for life.

Bronson and fiancée Williamson are awaiting a marriage date from prison authorities, but are hoping to tie the knot this autumn.